Calif man gets 27 months in postage stamp fraud

The Associated Press

A Central Valley man has been sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for manufacturing and selling nearly $200,000 worth of counterfeit postage meter stamps.

The U.S. Attorney's office says 57-year-old Brett Lee Hartman also was sentenced Friday to three years of supervised release for theft of government property, mail fraud, and forging and counterfeiting the stamps.

According to court documents, Hartman made over $190,000 between 2006 and 2009 selling meter stamps, an alternative to adhesive stamps that is used by many businesses.

The Modesto resident also received more than $31,000 in Social Security income to which he was not entitled.

Hartman has been ordered to pay restitution to both the U.S. Postal Service and the Social Security Administration.